


Memories

by NoblehouseofTargaryen (Captain_Shep)



Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-18 04:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3555338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Shep/pseuds/NoblehouseofTargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trevelyan recalls her family during the ball at Halamshiral</p>
            </blockquote>





	Memories

Trevelyan pulls at the soft fabric falling off her shoulders. Leliana had given her a dress that cut low across the front, clinging to her mid shoulders and revealing a fair amount of her freckled back, long blonde curls pulled in a braided bun atop her head. 

She grimaced at the pinching of her toes in the shoes she’d been forced into, however it was something she was all too used to before the explosion, she had left her life at Ostwick behind, she had been glad to leave this part of noble life behind when Cassandra took her in, but now it seemed that the all too familiar scene around her would once again become a huge part of her life. 

There was a polite cough from beside her. She smiled a little as Cullen’s strong hands appeared on the bannister beside her. “It seems like we both had the same idea General.” she said softly, staring down at the dancers below them, watching as the bright swaths of fabric twirled across the marble. 

"Indeed we did Inquisitor, I must admit I was never one for parties." Cullen replied, chuckling a little as she sighed and rolled a sore foot. "Though I suppose you would be a lot more uncomfortable than I am." he continued, smiling as she rolled her eyes at him. 

"I never thought I’d miss my leathers this much, you’ll be hard pressed to get me out of them when all this pomp is over." she laughed, brushing back her long fringe from her eyes. She sighed again, remembering her brothers gift to her, the long leather boots with sheathes for her knives inside were waiting back at Skyhold for her. 

"My brother’s always made this more bearable. They were such fools when it came to things like this, it drove mother absolutely mad, but they always managed to make me laugh." she said, chuckling at the memory of her red faced mother holding the twins by their ears, sputtering and crying out as she dragged them from the ballroom, she and her father laughing in glee as they watched. 

She turned, seeing Cullen smiling at her. Her brow furrowed, confused at his smile. “What?” she asked, reaching up to touch her cheek. “There’s nothing on your face I promise.” he said, reaching up to grab her wrist and gently pull it away from her cheek. “Its just that your eyes light up when you talk of your family, its lovely to see.” 

She blushed a deep red, looking down at the bright cerulean of her ball gown, his hand still wound gently around her wrist. “I don’t remember much of my family, I was given to the Chantry when I was very young.” he whispered. She looked up quickly at that, feeling her heart cry out for him, for his loss. 

"I’m sorry." she whispered, shaking her head at her blunder. "Here I am prattling on about my family, and you never-" he cut her off quickly with a shake of his head and a soft smile. "Its fine Inquisitor, you and the rest of our companions have given me a family I never believed I thought I’d have." he blushed as she grinned wide. 

"Then I’m glad." she whispered, pulling her hand from his wrist to take his hand. He shuffled awkwardly, before pulling at his high velvet collar. "I take it you’re not very comfortable in these stupid outfits either?" she giggled, moving away from the sombre subject. 

He rolled his eyes, running a hand through his smooth hair. She bit down on her lip, feeling her free hand twitch towards him, wanting nothing more than to feel his features for herself, map them out so she might always remember them. 

She grasped a thick handful of her dress in order to combat the instinct, smiling as he replied with a nod. “I suppose we must make an appearance at some time General Cullen.” she said, releasing his hand and her dress, raising herself to her full height, clasping her hands together gently the way her governess had taught her, elegance and grace, elegance and grace repeated over and over in her head, the words drilled there for many hours by the plump old woman. 

"I suppose we must your Eminence." he replied, winking at the end at her title, he knew she hated it, and with a roll of her eyes she took his offered hand and let him lead her down the steps and onto the marble floor, surrounded by other couples.

"I must confess its been a while." he whispered to her furtively, leaning down so his mouth almost caressed the outer shell of her ear, pulling a shiver from her as his hot breath poured slowly down her neck.

"Then allow me." she whispered back, directing his hand to lay at her waist, the other wound with hers, then she was gently laying a hand on his shoulder, stepping forwards into the dance with a grace only afforded to one of noble birth. 

She led them around the floor with ease, twirling and moving in time with the slow beat of the music, his eyes never strayed from hers, staring down at her curiously, she was always able to so easily mask her emotions from the world, barriers she probably didn’t even know she constructed raising almost instantaneously. 

He had gotten a glimpse into them on the balcony, her bright green eyes shining at the memory of her brothers, the walls had come crashing down up in that secluded alcove, and he had seen a part of her he had never dreamed that he would have the pleasure of seeing. 

He looked down at her now, and she was no longer just Trevelyan, laughing at her brothers antics. This was the Inquisitor, she danced with such grace it reminded him of her fighting style, smooth, clean lines. 

She seemed like a wraith when she fought, raising up on her toes with her long double sided knives clenched between long pale fingers. Dancing around huge battle axe’s and rolling away from arrows, appearing behind enemies without blinking, both knives sheathed tightly within her enemies flesh. 

Leliana had told him she hadn’t seen such a capable fighter since the Warden herself, she had all the skill and grace of a Dalish elf, almost toying with her enemies, long limbs reaching out to complete a well placed kick, an acrobat almost, he always wondered where she had learned to fight like she had, but he had resigned himself long ago to the fact that he would never get to know. 

Her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head General, care to enlighten a curious partner?” she asked, smiling as he blanched and realised he’d been staring for much too long. 

He stuttered a little, feeling his arms shake with embarrassment. “Just noting that you dance almost the same way you fight, you’re very graceful Inquisitor, I was curious as to where you learnt your skills?” He regretted the question almost as soon as he asked it, but to his surprise a far away look crossed her features and a wall came down, just as a wistful sigh drew from her strawberry covered lips. 

"My mother." she whispered, clenching her hand around his. "She died when I was 16, killed by an assassin sent by a rival family of ours, they’d been hunting us for years, they wanted our lands." her face hardened again, and he knew instantly what was coming next. 

"That was the first time I ever killed a man, but I was too late to save her." she hissed. He smiled down at her again, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You did what you had to do, your mother sounds like an exceptional woman." he said, looking down at her surprised expression. 

The music halted, bringing her to an abrupt halt, almost stumbling into him in shock. 

Then it was his turn to blanch in shock as she leaned up and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek, before she stepped away from him and turned towards the gardens outside. 

Her last words to him had been an almost unintelligible: 

Thank You.


End file.
